Albert l



A. L. MILLER.

GAP. GOUPLING.

Patented-Nov. 22,1881.

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WNW QNM/L www UNTTan STATES PATENT @errent ALBERT L. MILLER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 249,782, dated November 22, 1881.

Application filed May 27, 187B.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ALBERT L. MILLER, of lthe city, county, and State ot' New York, have invented certain Improvements in Oar-Gouplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is designed more particularly for use on elevated railroads, so called, in cities, in the working of which, owing to the short radius ot' the curves, the ordinary carcoupling is inadmissible, and in which the use of a single and continuous metal bar pivoted at its opposite ends underneath the bodies of two adjoining ears has been, previous to my invention, the only known feasible means of coupling the cars on such railroads. This device, however, involved the frequent and dangerous` necessity on the part ot' the attendant or operative of passing beneath the cars to couple or uncouple the latter.

My invention is designed to obviate such drmvbacks; and to this end it comprises cerlain novel combinations ot' parts, whereby said object is secured.

Figure l is an inverted plan view, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal vertical sectional view, ot a ear-coupling made according; to my said invention; and Fig. 3 is afront view, more clearly representing one portion thereof'.

A A `indicate the platforms of two adjoining cars to be coupled, and B is a transverse beam provided at or on the under side of each carbody. 0n each beam B is a skeleton bracket, a, which sustains a longitudinally-sliding buffer-bolt, C, pressed outward by a suitable spring, b. On the outer en d ot' each bufferbolt C are lugs c, directly under the platform, between which is passed the inner end ot' a long draw-head bar, D, and which is pivoted in said lugs by means of a removable pin, d. An opening, c, is provided in each platform to afford access to the pin d when occasion requires. Upon the outer end of each draw-head bar D is provided a draw-head, D. These draw-heads may be of the ordinary variety, fitted for use with a simple link and pin, or they may be constructed, as shown in the drawings, for automatic coupling, a link, f, being held at each end in the adjoining draw-heads by a pawl, g, the latter actuated to release the link by a suitable lever, h, provided on the end of the pivot of each pawl. Each draw-head rests upon a horizontal suspension-bracket, F, lattached to the under side ofthe front portion of each platform, and of such lengt-h as. to admit of the requisite lateral swing ot' the draw-head.

1t will be seen from the foregoing` that the draw-heads, instead'ofbeingkeptrigidlv in line with the lengthlof the cars to which they are respectively atlxed, are permitted alateral motion proportioned to the angle to which, with reference to each other, the two adjoining ears are brought while passing' a curve oi' small radins, at the saine time that the two connected draw-heads may be uncoupled and recoupled with quite as much ease and convenience as any ordinary coupling.

In order that the twodra\\'heads on a straight track may be caused to come (nearly or quite automatically) opposite each other for coupling, each suspension-bracket has a recess, m, at its central part, which tends to retain the draw-head therein unless or until a positive force is applied to turn it laterally in one direction or theother; and as the draw-heads, in practice, are generally uncoupled on a straight track, the draw-head is left and retained in place for most convenient recoupling. The ends a" of the recess m should be sloping, as shown in Fig. 3, in order t-o enable the drawhead to pass therefrom when actuated by positive force, as aforesaid.

What I claim is- The car-coupling consisting of the car-body having the beam B, provided with bracket a, the springing buffer-bolt C, passing through said bracket and beam, and provided on its outer end with lugs c, the draw-bar D, pivoted in said lugs by means ofthe removable pin d., the outer end ot' the draw-bar having the drawhead D', resting in the bracket F, and having a lateral movement therein, and the opening c in the platform A, to operate the pin d, as shown and described.

ALBERT L. MILLER.

Witnesses;

HENRY-EICHLING, B. S. CLARK. 

